A continuously variable transmission (CVT) includes a drive clutch and a driven clutch. The drive clutch is typically tied to the rotation of a crankshaft of an engine. Rotation of the drive clutch is transferred to the driven clutch via belt. The drive clutch typically includes a fixed sheave portion and a movable sheave portion. Both of the sheave portions include an engagement face surface that engages a respective side of the belt. As rotation of the drive clutch changes, the engagement face surfaces of the fixed sheave portion and the movable sheave portions move towards or away from each other changing the location that the belt engages the engagement faces surface. Movement of the belt up and down changes the gear ratio of the CVT. Typically, as rotation of the drive clutch slows down, the movable sheave portion moves away from the fixed sheave portion causing the belt to move down to an idler bearing assembly that is free to rotate about a central post. This allows an engine of a vehicle to idle in neutral without transferring significant torque to the driven clutch which would cause the vehicle to move. However, in this arrangement noise and shock loading at interfaces can occur when shifting from gear to gear (neutral to forward or reverse) in a downstream transmission of driveline components (gears, shift dogs, CV joints, etc.) as the result of backlash.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the present specification, there is a need in the art for and effective and efficient system to remove backlash in the downstream driveline utilizing a CVT system.